More than 10,000 spectators and car enthusiasts flocked to downtown Burbank, filling six city blocks to admire roughly 200 classic cars at the third annual Downtown Burbank Car Classic, a show made up of cars featured on television shows and in movies.
Highlights of the show included George Clooney’s Batmobile, brought to the show by Warner Bros. VIP Tours, which allowed spectators to take a seat behind the wheel. Other cars on display included a 1963 Oldsmobile Starfire from “Jersey Boys” a 1961 Volkswagen Beetle from “Herbie: Fully Loaded“, a 1965 Lincoln Continental Convertible from HBO’s “Entourage”, a 2002 Jaguar XKR from “Die Another Day” a 1964 Ford Galaxie 500 from “Almost Famous” and the Mystery Machine from Scooby-Doo.
City officials also recognized and welcomed Ryan Friedlinghaus from West Coast Customs, as the company is soon moving to a new facility in Burbank near the Bob Hope Airport. “The show went really well,” Minor said. “Everyone came out and really braved the heat.”
Ed Levitt, known in Burbank as Ed Car Guy, won the Petersen Preservation Pick award for best preserved vehicle for his 1968 Ford Mustang Coupe, “Vivian.” The award, he said, was “the highlight of her career.”
Levitt bought the Mustang in 2010 as its third owner. He was struck by the car’s high documentation — he even has the receipt for the car’s first oil change in July 1968, which cost a total of $2.75. Over the years, anything that was replaced on the car was done so with “new old” stock — parts that were made at the time the vehicle was manufactured, but were never used.
“A car is only original once, then it’s molested or modified or customized,” Levitt said. “This is none of those.”
The event, put on by the nonprofit Downtown Burbank Partnership, handed out about a half-dozen other awards, including Best in Show (Tom Leonard’s 1974 Triumph), most unusual car (the London taxi, owned by Steven Pierce), and the Petersen Preservation Pick (Ed Levitt’s 1968 Ford Mustang). Art Gragnotty also was awarded the best pre-1960 vehicle for his 1956 Mercury Montclair, and Larry Grey won best post-1960 car for his 1969 Chevy Camaro. Aside from the awards handed out Jay Leno accepted a Lifetime Achievement Award for his work maintaining and restoring cars dating back to the earliest days of the automobile.
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